A Saab AB contract with the Brazilian government worth $4.7 billion to develop and produce 36 Gripen NG aircraft has come into effect, the company said Thursday.
First announced Oct. 27, 2014, the Brazil-Saab contract came into effect as all required conditions have been fulfilled and the company booked it as an order intake (Defense Daily, Oct. 31, 2014). An associated industrial co-operation contract (which includes technology transfer to Brazilian industries) also came into effect, signed in October 2014 as well.
The technology transfer program involves Brazilian engineers and technicians going to the company’s facilities in Sweden for education and on-the job training in October 2015. This program “will further contribute to the development of an independent, advanced defense industrial base in Brazil,” Saab said.
The Gripen is a multi-role combat aircraft that can enact a range of air-to-aor and air-to-ground missions. This includes specialist roles like intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR), and electronic warfare (EW), the company said. The aircraft also has an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and infra-red search and track (IRST) system.
“Through the Gripen NG program, we continue to build on the industrial relations between Brazil and Sweden. I am confident that this important program will serve as a platform for new business and contribute to the growth of both the Brazilian and Swedish industry,” Marcus Wallenberg, chairman of Saab’s board of directors, said in a statement.
“This important milestone marks the formal start to the Brazilian Gripen NG program. We will now work full speed ahead to ensure timely deliveries of Gripen NG to Brazil. Our partnership with Brazilian industry strengthens Saab’s position in Latin America and supports our strategy for growth through industrial co-operation,” Håkan Buskhe, president and CEO of Saab, added.
“The acquisition of Gripen NG will provide benefits beyond the enlargement of the Brazilian Air Force’s operational capacity. In addition to equipping FAB with one of the world’s most modern fighters, the participation in the development of Gripen NG means a technological breakthrough for Brazilian industry,” Lieutenant-Brigadier Nivaldo Luiz Rossato, Commander of the Brazilian Air Force, said.
The Gripen NG aircraft are expected to be delivered to the Brazilian Air Force from 2019-2024.